Fan



.Feb. 5, 1924. t 1,4825% J. BECHTEL, SR

FAN

Filed July 25. 1922 Inventor flw 42$4 by I Way's.

Patented Feb. 5, 1224;.

PATENT JOHN BECHTEL, SR., OF EARLHAYM, IOWA.

FAN.

Application filed July 25,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN Bnorrrnn, Six, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Earlham, in the county of Madison, State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Fan, of which the following is a specification. v

The object of my invention is to provide an oscillating fan which may be operated electrically and which is of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More specifically it is my object to provide a fan especially desirable for use in the treatment of insomnia cases. In this connection I have observed that in the ordinary rotary electric fans now in common use that are employed in hospital cases, the whirling motion of the fan blades and the humming noise produced thereby are objectionable especially in insomnia cases, as they tend to agitate rather than to sooth the patients nerves; and I have also observed that a gentle intermittent draft of air with aperiod of rest between the impulses of air promote a soothing and cooling effect upon the patient in marked distinction to the effect produced by a continuous draft or current of air such as is produced by a rotary electr1c fan.

A further object is to provide a fan of this class in which the operations of the fan are made noiseless or the noise muflied in such a manner that the patient being treated will not be annoyed by the buzzing sounds produced by a rapidly rotating motor.

A further object is to provide a fan of this class which may be readily, quickly and easily adjusted by the operator to make desired movement of oscillations during a given period of time, that is, to run rela tively fast or relatively slow; and also to provide a fan of this character in which the normal angle of the oscillating fan may be adjusted to suit the requirements so that currents of air may be applied to the patient from above the bed or from a horizontal position at the side of the bed, or in a horizontal direction from the side or endof the bed to suit the requirements. I

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more 1922. Serial No. 577,348.

fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a fan embodying my invention arranged adjacent ton portion of a bed to show the relative position, the motor container and muffler box being shown in section.

Figure 2 shows a similar view taken from a position at right angles to that of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged, detail, sectional view of a motor shaft and speed reducing gear.

Figure at shows a sectional view of the base of the device.

Figure 5 shows a detail view partly in section showing the means for adjusting the position of the fan blade relative to the fan shaft; and

Figure 6 shows an enlarged, detail, perspective view of the motor casing and muffler.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate 'generally the base of the machine. This is preferably formed hollow and is filled with sand or similar material 11, as shown in Figure 4c, for the combined purposes of stabilizing the machine and preventing vibrations of the base that might produce noises.

Mounted upon the base is an upright standard 12 and a series of brace rods 13 terminating near the top of the upright 12 in a small platform 14. At the top of the upright 12 is a horizontally supported tube 15 in which is rotatably mounted a fan shaft 16.

The numeral 17 indicates the fan which is made of light weight material and is provided with a slotted arm 18 which embraces the fan shaft 16, and to which it is adjustably clamped by means of a bolt 19 and a nut 20. V

The combined motor box and muffler comprises a rectangular hollow box-like structure composed of a base member indicated generally by the numeral 21, and formed with a hollow bottom, ends and sides, all of which are closed at the top, and the space be tween them filled with sand 22, or similar material.

Projecting outwardly from the sides of the base 21 are the lugs 23. The top memher is indicated generally by the reference numeral 24 and is like the bottom member except that it is inverted, and is also provided with lugs 25 similar to the lugs 23. Between the two adjacent box members there is a flexible yielding packing material 26, and the lugs 23 and 25 are connected together by bolts.

In the part 2 f there is a slot 27 for purposes hereinafter made clear, and both the bottom member 21 and the top member 24 are provided with outwardly extending lugs 28 provided with bolts 29. by which the device may be detachably and firmly secured to the standard 12, as shown in Figure 1, resting on top of the shelf 15.

Mounted within the motor box is a small electric motor 30 having its drive shaft 31 projected into a gear casing 32,and provided with a worm gear 33 and abalance wheel 34.

Within the casing 32 is a worm wheel 35 in mesh with the'worm gear 33 and fixed to the shaft 36. A bracket 37 is fixed to the gear casing 32 and is also fixed to the adjacent end of the motor 30 so that all the parts are rigidly supported in position within. the motor casing.

Connected to the shaft 36 is a crank arm 37 to which is pivoted a pitman 38. This pitman extends upwardly through the. slot 27. and is pivotally connected to a rocker arm 39 fixedto the shaft-'15.

The reference numeral 10 indicates a surface wire leading to the motor and provided with a screw plug 41 for connecting it to an ordinary lamp socket, and included in the circuit between the plug 41 and the motoris a rheostat 42 designed to be placed upon the,

floor and to be controlled by foot pressure. This rheostat is of the ordinary construction and formsno part of my present invention, its function being to regulate the flow of the electric current so that the speed of the motor may thereby becontrolled.

In practical use it is obvious that my improved fan may be placed on a floor beside a bed or adjacent to a chair in which the patient is sitting, and then the fan 17 may be adjusted on the shaft 16 at any desired position, as to say, it may oscillate backwardly and forwardly from anormal vertical position, or up and down from a normal horizontal position, or any other angle desired.

Assuming, however, that the fan is being operated at normal speed, then a gentlecurrent of air will be directed toward the pa.- tient upon one stroke of the fan, then; there will be a period of rest and another gentle current of air will be created by the fan upon its return stroke.

The area of the fan is relatively large and by reason of the fact that the currents of air are applied to thepatient intermittently, it will have a soothing effect as distinguished 1 ,asasoa from the irritating effect caused-by the constant flow of the air current, such as created by an ordinary rotary fan.

Furthermore, the movement of the fan is relatively slow and no noise Will be created on account of the fan movement as distinguished from. the noise that is created bythe operation of an ordinary rotary fan.

As is well known, the operation of any ordinary electric motor or spring motor will create some noise and vibrations, and to eliminate such noise and vibration I have designed and constructed my apparatus so that the noise thus createdwill be nullified and eliminated by themotor box and muffler, and the vibration is eliminated .by the construction of the base.

In practical operation of my device; in,

hospital work I have found that in the treatwith a rotary fan. However,the relatively slow, noiseless and, monotonous movement. of the fan is soothing to. a patients'nerves, as distinguished from the irritation of the patients nerves caused by n electric rotary. fan. Then when the patients. nerves are partly soothed,- I have found that bygradu: ally decreasing the oscillations, of. the 'fan,.. the patient will watch the fanmovement and feel the soothing effects of thezintermittent, gentle air currents and thussleepwill. bein-. duced in cases where the.use:of a rotaryzelectrio fan would have an oppositeeffect.

I am aware that mechanicallyoperated; oscillating. fans. were wellknown prior to the. invention. of a rotary .fan, but I am. not aware that there has been provided hereto: fore mechanically driven. oscillating: fans having the. advantages of; adjustabilil'ag", noiselessness and freedom. from... vibration that are associated with ,mydmprovedfan, and that would. thereby give the valuable results inv hospital use that-have been attained by the use of my improvedfan.

I claim as my: invention:

1. An improved fan. comprisingal, base formed hollow, a filler. within the baseofsander the like, an -.upri'ght supportedby the base, a fan operating..mechanism supported on said upright, a fanfor said mechanism, a muffler boxsupportedon said up.- right comprising upper and lower hollow. sound-deadening members forreceiving said fan operating mechanism,,and means. forde tachably clamping said members together.

2. An improved. fan comprisingraibase. formed'hollow, a filler within the: base. of: sand or the like, an upright supportedby the base, a drive shaftmountedat the .top of the upright, a fan bladeadjustably.fixedflto. the drive shaft, a combined motor box-and muffler supported on said upright and comprising upper and lower hollow sound members, means for detachably clamping them together, a flexible packing between them, the upper member being formed with a slot, a motor contained within the box, a worm gear device driven by the motor, a. crank driven by the worm gear device, a pitman connected to the crank, and a crank arm on the fan shaft connected to the pitman, for the purposes stated.

3. An improved fan comprising a base formed hollow, a filler within the base of sand or the like, an upright supported by the base, a drive shaft mounted at the top of the upright, a fan blade adjustably fixed to the drive shaft, a combined motor box and muflier supported on said upright and comp-rising upper and lower hollow sound members, means for detachably clamping them together, a flexible packing between them, the upper member being formed With a slot, a motor contained within the box, a worm gear device driven by the motor, a crank driven by the worm gear device, a pitman connected to the crank, a crank arm on the fan shaft connected to the pitman. and a manually controlled rheostat included in the motor circuit.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 14, 1922.

JOHN BECHTEL, s. 

